Winsome Sears, the Republican candidate for Governor in Virginia, recently responded to a Democratic official who, in a shocking display of victim-blaming, held her responsible for a racially offensive sign displayed against her at a school board meeting.
The sign was held by a critic protesting Sears' stance on the school's policy allowing boys to use girls' bathrooms and vice versa.
As reported by RedState, Sears appeared on Fox News' "The Will Cain Show" on Tuesday, where she was asked about the comments made by Marc Broklawski, the VA Democrat Vice Chair for Rules. Broklawski had defended the critic and the sign, which read, "Hey Winsome, if trans can't share your bathroom, then blacks can't share my water fountain."
Broklawski's controversial statement on social media read, "What happened in Arlington wasn't just about a meeting. It was about the climate Winsome Sears is creating, one where contempt is currency and neighbors are turned against each other."
He further added that "[Abigail] SpanbergerForVA is running on something stronger: a Virginia where we solve problems, not invent enemies."
In response, Sears, demonstrating grace under pressure, questioned Broklawski's intentions, emphasizing her commitment to ensuring quality education for children. "It's not about your political ideas," Sears said. "Not about your culture wars. It's about simply educating the children. That's your only job."
Sears, who is also the sitting Lieutenant Governor and an immigrant, had previously expressed her disgust at the racially offensive sign. "I'm disgusted, but not surprised. This is the "tolerant" left Abigail Spanberger defends," she said. "There is no place for this disgusting hatred in our Commonwealth. Anyone who doesn't condemn this sign is complicit in approving it."
During her appearance on Fox News, Sears highlighted that the sign was not the only issue. She noted that the critic had displayed the sign for over an hour in a crowd of hundreds of Democrats, none of whom had objected. "They saw the sign and never once said, 'Take it down,'" Sears said.
Sears also recounted how, at the same meeting, security had offered to escort her in through the back door to avoid the critics. She refused, stating, "I said no, 'I'm going to walk through the front and I'm going to face the same gauntlet as the folks that I'm trying to represent.'"
The racially charged attack on Sears may have unintended consequences, potentially swaying public sentiment in favor of the Republicans. Sears shared an incident with the Fox News host where an older black woman, a self-identified Democrat, expressed her sympathy for Sears.
"I was just in a store this morning, and an older black woman came up to me... and she said, I'm a Democrat, I'm not a Republican, but I'm so sorry for what they did to you," Sears recounted.
Sears pointed out that the offensive sign was not just an attack on her, but on the entire black community. "Folks, we can't live this way," she said. "This is not rightone group can not have more rights than another."
This incident underscores the importance of respectful discourse in politics, and the need for all parties to condemn racially offensive behavior, regardless of political affiliations.
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